BILL NUMBER:  S3168

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to permitting
certain motor vehicles on a certain segment of public roads

 PURPOSE :

This bill would permit tandem trailers to travel from exit 49 of the
New York state thruway for approximately .5 miles to their shipping
and receiving location.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1. Subdivision 16 of section 385 of the vehicle and traffic
law is amended by adding a new paragraph (v) to read as follows: Over
a route extending between the thruway toll booth at the New York state
thruway exit 49 to the terminus of the exit 49 on and off ramps and
its intersection with New York state route 78 and southerly on New
York state route 78 to its intersection with Pfohl Road, a distance of
approximately .5 miles, and approximately 550 feet west on Pfohl Road,
where the commissioner of transportation determines that the vehicle
or combination of vehicles could operate safely along the designated
route and that no applicable federal, regulation or other requirement
prohibits the operation of such vehicle or combinations of vehicles on
              

such route.

Section 2 states that this act shall take effect immediately. Existing
Law states in Section 385 of the vehicle and traffic law states
maximum dimensions and weight restrictions for vehicles on public
roads. Subdivision 16 of this section, however, allows for the
possibility of exempting a designated route from these requirements.
The vehicles on this route must be travelling to or from the New York
state thruway, and they must also meet the maximum dimensions and
weight restrictions for the New York state thruway. There are
currently 22 such exemptions under Subdivision 16.

 JUSTIFICATION :

This bill allows for tandem trailers, already incompliance with New
York state thruway maximum dimensions and weight restrictions, to
legally exit the thruway and travel to a designated shipping and
receiving location approximately .5 miles from exit 49 of the New York
state thruway. Under current law, tandem trailers may travel on the
thruway, but may not exit the thruway to their shipping and receiving
location approximately .5 miles away.

Subdivision 16 of Section 385 of the vehicle and traffic law
recognizes this potential problem by allowing for possible exemptions
for those motor vehicles traveling to and from the New York state
thruway. This bill simply adds another designated route to that
current list of 22 exemptions. Furthermore, this bill requires the
commissioner of transportation to determine that the tandem trailers
could operate safely along the designated route and that no other
applicable laws prohibit the operation of the tandem trailers on such
route.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

S.70B 2015 - 2016 Passed Senate
S.7945 of 2014

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None
 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.